Taken in Tuscany
by twitchytwain
Summary: AU/AH: Bonnie discovers love and desire in a rustic villa in Tuscany while housesitting for an old friend. She knew Tuscany was known for its sensuous food and wine but the young gardener that comes with the house, well she hadn't bargained on that…(older professional Bonnie, younger blue-collar Damon)
1. Chi City Girl

**Title:** Taken in Tuscany

 **Summary:** _Bonnie discovers love and desire in a rustic villa in Tuscany while housesitting for an old friend. She knew Tuscany was known for its sensuous food and wine but the young gardener that comes with the house, well she hadn't bargained on that…._

 **Pairing:** Bamon

-oOo-

 **Chi-City Girl**

-oOo-

Kai's flight arrived thirty minutes late and Bonnie hung around the arrivals peering at faces as they walked out through the mechanic, glass doors. O'Hare was full to capacity with people coming, and going. Glancing around the airport, she spotted a few businessmen toting around briefcases, lovers arm in arm preparing for the weekend ahead but her eyes lingered on a young couple with two kids. Something tightened in her chest when the husband pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek and then proceeded to do the same to his daughter's forehead. Bonnie shook the picture out of her head and scanned the space again.

She was growing somewhat impatient when she saw his beaming face in the crowd. He looked tantalizing in an olive green army jacket, disheveled around his chest but smooth over his broad shoulders. He looked so good that she had to bite her lip and stop herself from screaming. The man had a body that made a girl scream and praise the Lord for his sweet mercy and Bonnie was thankful. She was thankful that after months of drought; this man would lay one on her so thick, so juicy, so sticky and so powerful that she'd have to go to Church on Sunday for absolution. She had been waiting endlessly for this weekend, marking out her calendar and attending to any business that might be deemed urgent. She had even contemplated on buying a big ' _do not disturb'_ sign and hanging it outside her apartment so that her crazy friends wouldn't find themselves on her door step. The phone was already off the hook. Bonnie had hungered for this man for three straight months, three straight months of restless nights and now he was finally hers.

"Hello beautiful." he whispered pulling her toward him and holding her face firmly in his large hands. She moaned aroused by his tormenting baritone voice.

"Welcome back to Chi-Town" she sighed, pressing her palms on his warm chest.

"You look gorgeous." he smiled holding her at arms length so that he could take all of her in. His dark eyes raked the length of her slender frame dressed in a black Dior pant suit like a ravenous tiger. Her shoulder length brown hair was a mess of large curls framing her heart shaped face.

"I missed you, "she murmured burying her face in his big chest and allowing her body to be engulfed in his warmth. He smelled like leather and citrus and the scent took her back to the last time they'd been together. Kai held there in his arms kissing her hair and she inhaled him deeply before lifting her eyes to his.

"You smell so good." He told her, his grey eyes lighting up with amusement.

"And you feel incredible, "she squeezed him a little more before pulling away.

"Let's go home" he said throatily, kissing the top of her head.

They walked to the black BMW with Kai lugging his Burberry weekend bag in one hand, the other resting comfortably around her shoulders. She drove and he talked.

"You're working too hard." He said as he lowered the window and Bonnie squinted against a fiery Chicago sunset.

"You sound like my mother." She chuckled, motioning to the glove box where she kept her sunglasses.

"Speaking of which, how is she?" he complied, opened the compartment and handed her a pair of oversized glasses.

"She still hates you" she teased, loving the halo effect around his head from the setting sun. It made him appear luminous and ethereal, something she always believed about him.

"That explains why you haven't told her that we're back together."

"She wouldn't understand. Abby is a happily married idealist who thinks I should find a good man, get married and have a village of kids," she said casually.

"She just cannot comprehend why her brilliantly successful daughter is still happily single" she smiled glancing at him and Kai laughed throwing his head back. It was a deep robust laugh that seemed to erupt from his belly and she found it contagious.

"The very idea of a liberal feminist like you bearing kids is quite comical to say the least."

"Well then, I guess that explains why I'm sill a spinster at the ripe old age of thirty two." She gave a half-strangled laugh and averted his eyes.

"You're not a spinster, you're an untamed spirit."

-oOo-

They spent the evening huddled in bed with a bottle of vintage red wine, a packet of cigarettes and Indian take out. Bonnie took the cigarette from his mouth and slid it into her own; it was a potent camel brand that left her giddy.

"I thought you quit." Kai said, his breath tickling her forehead.

"I'll quit when you quit." She murmured and traced a line along his firm abdomen, reveling in its tautness.

"We're two of a kind you and I" he planted a kiss to her brow and rubbed her arm.

"It's you and me darling, not you and I."

They were watching some CNN special about rebel groups massacring Hutus in the aftermath of the genocide in Congo. Kai was resting next to her with his hands brushing up against her breasts, touching the fabric of the white Egyptian sheet gently as if he didn't want to disturb them. He always marveled at her breasts as if they were the eighth wonder of the world. They were pert, lush and firm, tipped with delicate dark nipples.

"Why don't we go out for dinner tonight, maybe see some of my girl friends?" she breathed closing her eyes as his hands crept beneath the sheet to touch her skin.

"I don't want to share you, beautiful. "Kai sighed lowering his head so he could kiss her bare shoulder. He planted light butterfly kisses on it then brought his face up to kiss her. She held his radiant face in her hands and kissed him. She could still taste the hot sauce in his mouth. He smelled and tasted like a man from Mumbai. Their kisses were long and slow, making her skin tingle as he raked his fingers through her hair. His mouth sought her breasts and professed his love for them. Their love making was slow and tender with her lying on her side as he moved from behind. They stirred like that, on and on until he grasped her neck and kissed her hard and full on her open mouth.

Bonnie laid her head on his hard chest feeling content and complete.

"This is nice." She mused.

"It is, isn't it?" he massaged her left breast, the bottle of wine passing from his lips to her lips.

"It could be like this all the time." She suggested, pinching his nipple between her thumb and fore finger.

"It's a nice fantasy."

"I make you happy, don't I?" She looked up at him, her eyes pleading.

"Yes…but you know what we have."

"Yes I know." she was being selfish and she hated herself for it. She had gotten into this knowing Kai wouldn't be so available. He had a demanding career as a journalist and she had her own trials running her events planning company. It was the situation that controlled them. Ten months entangled in an explosive love affair with this man. It was futile to fight it. He had the power to hypnotize her with his voodoo.

"If only we could escape it all, run away to Europe or India"

"India…India would be wonderful."

"We'd leave like nomads from country to country wandering the world searching for reason in this senseless world. "

"Why bother with logic? I want to be a student of life, living for the moment. I want to bask under the Tuscan sun, follow a strange religion in India make love, make music…"

"We'd make love on every continent. "His grey eyes sparked as he grabbed a hold of her.

"Every country." she smoldered caressing his face with her fingers. She kissed him, breathing him, tasting him, tongue against tongue, ravaging his mouth. Kai held her close, firmly against his solid body and devoured her neck, her breasts. She laughed at their impetuous naivety. The reality was that she was thirty-two, unmarried with a mortgage to pay, insurance, a career, a pension plan and in love with a man she could never call her own.

-oOo-

Bonnie woke up at eight o'clock the next morning and strolled around the loft wearing one of Kai's old navy-blue Ralph Lauren shirts, sleeves rolled up, frayed collar, oversized and skimming her lithe thighs. She raked her manicured fingers through a head of messy curls. She watered the plants, scratched through a heap of laundry and decided to put a few things in the machine. Then she crushed some Brazilian coffee beans and made a fresh pot in the coffee machine. Taking a pack of Marlboros from the drawer, she went into the lounge, plopped up on the yellow linen couch with her steaming cup and slipped one in her mouth. Her lips were quivering with an unfathomable craving for nicotine. She pulled feeling warm fingers massage her insides. Her head tilted back as she blew our tendrils of white smoke from her puckered lips. This had the power to truly liberate her from herself. It was a painfully passionate affair that held her in is clutches till she abandoned all reason. It was a bad habit, she didn't deny that but it was also the sweetest most gratifying intoxication she had ever known. She laid out the butt in an ash tray, drank her black coffee and listened to the telephone messages.

Sydney and Nicole, new clients asking about the price for imported lobsters for their June wedding, Caroline inviting her out to a book party and her mother insisting that she call. Kai barged into the lounge buttoning his slim fit white shirt; his eyes were a deep shade of burgundy from their furious love making.

"You've showered?" she shot him a surprised look. Bonnie had been hoping for another hit before they hit the town.

"I have to go" he announced as he tucked the tails of his shirt into his waistband.

"But you just got here, I thought…"

"A huge story just broke out in the Middle East, "he walked over to her on the couch, "this could make my career" he told her much to her anguish.

"You work for CNN; I think your career is a done deal." she slammed the cup on the thick oak wood table, spilling her coffee.

"Besides, there's always a story breaking out in the Middle East, its hardly breaking news."

"Now you're an expert on my career, I don't have time for this."

"You never have time for this" her voice croaked as she forced herself to smile. Why did this always happen, whenever she was enjoying her time with Kai, her much needed, much deserved time with Kai, work always interfered. She cursed herself for feeling like this.

"I'll see you soon." He said gruffly.

"When?" she begged, following toward the front door.

"A couple of months." He flung the words over his shoulder.

"Unless another story breaks out"

"There were no hidden clauses in this contract, Bonnie."

"Yes, I knew exactly what I was getting into"

"Don't start," he picked up his bag, tossing his jacket over his shoulder," I don't have time for a pity party."

"I'm sorry, it's just I love you so much Kai, and I never really see you." She grabbed his arm, clinging on to him.

"I'll call you." he gave her a perk on the cheek.

"I can drive you to the airport."

"I've already called a cab."

Bonnie watched him leave; she stood there, rooted on the spot with his scent still lingering in the room. She loathed the way she felt, needy, clingy, and pathetic. Kai was probably repulsed by her. Fourteen months ago she had been an independent, sexy, smart woman who just happened to meet Kai at some art exhibition, now she was a slobbering needy spinster. She didn't have the energy to do this anymore. She loved Kai, oh Lord how she adored him but she was tired and she ached deeply.

-oOo-

"You look terrible." Caroline said, scrutinizing her from across the table.

"Do I?" Bonnie tapped her designer heel on the granite floors of Acadia around the South Loop.

"I don't know why you bother with him.' her friend repeated, casually taking a sip from her glass of Sauvignon Blanc. She looked particularly prim and proper in a black ruffled dress, her blonde hair tied into a high ponytail. Bonnie, on the other hand felt like a mess, the peacock print dress she'd thrown on was from her dirty pile. She'd drowned it in Chanel no.5 to mask the odor. She didn't have the vigor or patience to bother with her looks when her life was falling apart around her.

"I love him." she replied, scratching her head.

"You know you deserve better than this don't you, there are tons of single men in Chicago."

"Yes, but not all of them eligible. Kai is sexy, funny, cultured and a world renowned journalist."

"Well, you're the only one in love in this so called relationship." Caroline warned and flipped through a laminated menu and settled on the desert section.

"I won't get anyone better than him."

"Do you know what you sound like right now? This man has turned you into a sniveling love-sick school girl. You used to be a vivacious business woman."

"You're right" Bonnie sighed and made a stab at her butterflied lobster.

"I miss my friend, let's go out tonight. Paint the town red." Caroline slapped the menu on the table, leaning across the table to grab Bonnie's hands.

"I need a break; I need space to…regroup." The brunette confessed as she squeezed Caroline's hands.

"No, you need champagne and dancing"

"I don't feel like a party." She sighed, releasing Caroline's hands to pick up her glass of wine.

"This is not a debate, it's an order. There's an after party for The Business Man of the year awards, need I say more.' Caroline winked, her blue eyes sparkling. .

"A room full of Chi-Town men, that's all I need." Bonnie shook her head, laughing at her friend's zeal.

7


	2. Hi Society, Bye Society

_**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews darlings. I'm so happy to see you're as excited about this fic as I am….**_

 **-oOo-**

 **-Hi Society, Bye Society-**

-oOo-

It was of those evenings where Chicago's elite could display their excess. They were at a sprawling mansion in Gold Coast where the Business Man of the year after party was being held. A swirl of people moved around her, the lilt of their laughter exasperating her to the point where she picked up two glasses of champagne from a passing server.

She alternated sips from both glasses and surveyed the room. Her green eyes landed on the small jazz band playing on a small raised platform. She loved the smoldering sounds of the trumpet as it cast a spell over the crowded room. She closed her eyes, lulled by the haunting melody. Her body had begun to sway to the hum of the music when Caroline came barreling toward her toting a watermelon martini.

"You'll never guess who's here" she cried, draping an arm around Bonnie's shoulder.

"Who?" she asked because she was not in the least bit interested in playing Caroline's games tonight. She was getting tired of the same old faces and the same old conversations and frankly would've rather been at home with a good book.

"Marcel" she sang his name and Bonnie's eyes caught him as he strode into the room. He raised a hand to acknowledge a gaggle of woman at the end of a curved bar before his eyes locked with Caroline's. Bonnie groaned because she realized there and then that she would hardly see her friend for the rest of the evening. Marcel was a former NFL player for the Chicago Bears and was now the owner of a prominent real estate agency. Caroline had met him at a blind date set up by a mutual friend and they'd been dating on and off ever since.

He took measured steps towards them and stretched out his arms.

"Ladies, "he greeted, giving Bonnie a slight nod. Caroline extended her hand and allowed him to lift it to his lips. The chemistry between the two was electric and Bonnie felt like the third wheel. She flicked a glance down at her black bustier gown and tugged the fabric hugging her hips. Then she brushed the small train back and it settled around her ankles, rippling along the marble floor. The burst of laughter from Caroline as Marcel whispered into her ear was the last straw.

"And that's my cue" she mumbled and took her exit, not bothering to wait for a response from the couple. She wandered outside to the terrace where some of the guests had spilled into so that she could clear her mind.

The Windy city owned all the stars tonight, she thought as she stared up at a dazzling sky. The moon was out and Chicago smelled like summer. She flipped open her sparkly purse and took out a cigarette then considered it for a while before wedging it between her red lips.

"I thought Kai would be escorting you tonight" a voice startled her just as she lit her cigarette.

"Katherine" Bonnie smiled and leaned in to accept her friend's kiss on both cheeks.

"Are you having a good time?" Katherine asked, her floral smell filling Bonnie's nostrils.

"I hate these things, even when they're not _work_ " Bonnie shrugged and exhaled, the cigarette smoke drifting in front of them. "Do you know who planned the event?" she asked, glancing at Katherine.

"No clue. I just get invited because of Elijah"

"Is he receiving an award?"

"Of course" she smiled a big, broad smile and her brown eyes lit up.

"Congratulations" Bonnie offered as she rubbed her hand down Katherine's arm.

Katherine relaxed into the embrace, took another sip of her champagne and asked, "Where is Kai?"

Bonnie's stomach knotted at his name, she took another sip of liquid courage, took a quick glance at the valley of stars above them and mumbled her reply.

"He had a work thing in Syria" she shrugged her shoulders and took another pull from her cigarette, grateful that it gave her something to do with her hands.

"Ah, the hazards of dating a journalist" Katherine chuckled but it was a laugh laced with tension. Bonnie smiled across at her. She knew fully well that her friend always had her back even after marrying into one of Chicago's most illustrious families.

"I don't think we're still dating" she replied as she sucked in a breath.

"Oh" Katherine bit her bottom lip, her eyes searching Bonnie's face. Waving off Katherine's concern with a dry chuckle of her own, she fixed her eyes to the bottom of the glass.

"It just wasn't working for me…I need a little more, you know" she explained and stole a quick glimpse at Katherine who was nodding vehemently.

"Yeah, I get it" she finally told Bonnie.

"I'm tired and to be honest I'd love to get out of the city for a while" she confessed and Katherine's eyes lit up again.

"We have a place in Tuscany. It's yours if you like "she announced, grabbing a hold of Bonnie's forearm.

"You wouldn't tease a girl, would you?"

"Never. I could even help you with an emergency Visa"

"And I could even let you "Bonnie warned, her pulse going a mile a minute.

"You should consider it. A bit of sun, wine and the countryside might do you some good.

"I will. Thanks for the offer" she inhaled a grateful breath and killed her cigarette.

"That's what friends are for "Katherine assured her and they shared a long smile.

"To wine under the sun" Katherine laughed and they tapped glasses.

"To Tuscany" Bonnie took a sip from her glass, already glowing from the possibility of going to Tuscany.

-oOo-

"You'll be happy to know that I broke up with Kai" she told her mother three days later over lunch.

"Maybe now you can actually settle down and give me some grand babies." Her mother's nagging was making her head hurt.

"I'm done dating, mother." she curled her fingers around a cup of herbal tea starring out into the trashing grey rain outside.

"Nonsense, you'll meet someone. Chicago is chockfull of educated Midwestern men" she sighed and slipped on her reading glasses so that she could peruse the menu. A leaflet fell out of her bag and Bonnie's eyes were suddenly trained onto the glossy brochure. Picking up the paper, she shot her mother a surprised look.

"The Penis Monologues?" Bonnie wrinkled her nose as she read the pamphlet.

"It's a play playing at the Chicago theatre" Abby was casual as she took a sip from her mimosa cocktail.

"You should come" she quickly suggested, peering at Bonnie over the rim of her glasses.

"I'm not watching anything about penises with my mother" Bonnie said then licked a dollop of chocolate from her fork, moaning with delight. She pushed the small plate away from her as Abby beckoned the waiter.

"It's not about penises; it's sort of like vagina monologue" she explained, sparing Bonnie another glance.

"Ok. I'm not doing this with you" Bonnie mumbled under her breath, her eyes locked on the advancing waiter.

"You need to loosen up, get that damn stick out of your ass"

"I love you too, mother" Bonnie smiled, noting the alarm in the waiter's eyes.

-oOo-

When she got home that evening, she ordered a deep-dish pizza and enjoyed two slices with a glass of red wine. She wrestled with some work and replied to some overdue e-mails. Then as she closed the windows she had been working on, Kai's picture taunted her. She collected the last slice and chewed heatedly while glaring at her desktop picture. Kai's eyes mocked her, challenged her to do something but she merely chewed and glared. She would get over him, she vowed, She would stop craving him in the evenings. She would stop dreaming about it. All she needed was a long break.

Bonnie calmly closed her laptop; she swiveled around in her chair and stared at the skyline out her window. She listened to the sounds of the city and lifted the wine to her lips. At that moment with the hiss of traffic and the shimmer of burning neon lights, she knew she wanted to go to Tuscany. She bet the sky was bigger in Tuscany. It was bigger and clearer, not obstructed by all the towering skyscrapers and factory smoke.

She picked up her phone and typed a quick text to Katherine.

" _Yes to wine under the sun."_

-oOo-

A week later the girls were in her apartment helping her pack. Bonnie lifted a lacy thong with the crook of her finger and gave Emily a wry smile.

"My cousin buying me sexy lingerie for a holiday is not a good look" she chuckled and tossed the thong inside her Louis Vuitton suitcase.

"Neither is you taking ratty old briefs to Tuscany." Emily defended her antics, folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't need sexy clothes because they'll be no sexy times" Bonnie jutted her chin towards a red dress that Caroline held against her chest.

"That's definitely going into the yes pile." Lucy motioned to the dress and pointed to a cluster of slinky clothing scattered on Bonnie's hand carved king-sized bed.

"What do you mean there'll be no sexy times?" Caroline frowned and pushed out her bottom lip. "You'll be in Italy with hot Italian hotties, that's the very definition of sexy times" she heatedly explained as she glared at Bonnie.

"Have a thousand raunchy films taught you nothing about holiday romance?" Lucy looked pained, a hand resting over her heart.

"I am no Diane Lane" she laughed, picking up a white cotton dress and holding it up against Lucy.

"Who do you think would play her in a movie?" Caroline asked Emily as the latter refilled their glasses with more champagne.

"Zoe Saldana" Bonnie said over her shoulder much to Lucy's amusement.

"You wish" Emily laughed, champagne bubbles tickling her nose.

"Chicken Soup for the Soul" Caroline swiped a book from the reading pile Bonnie was preparing to take with her and read the label.

"What she needs is sex for the soul" Emily waved a bottle of champagne jauntily as she skipped to replenish Lucy and Bonnie's glass.

"Yes because nothing says inspirational like hot sex with a dead-beat, commitment phobic asshole" Bonnie moaned and took a desperate sip.

"Yes honey, it warms the chill and heals the ill" Emily sang, ignoring her sarcasm.

"I'm going there to relax" Bonnie insisted then set the glass aside to focus on packing.

"And sex is very relaxing" Lucy teased, trailing a finger on a cream chiffon dress.

"Not the way I do it" Emily laughed and high-fived Caroline.

"You need to be somewhere?" Bonnie asked Lucy after her cousin checked her watch for the umpteenth time.

"We're having dinner with Mason's parents" she explained, locking a lock of dark hair behind her ear.

"Ooh, getting serious ha!" Emily tossed a sock at Lucky who ducked and shot her sister a look.

"Yeah, Lucy Lockwood has a nice ring to it" a contended smile spread across Lucy's lips.

"I'm happy for you" Bonnie lifted her glass and winked at her.

"I hate you for going to Tuscany and not taking me with you" Emily huffed, stretching Bonnie's green bikini bottoms before throwing them into the now filling suitcase. "I can picture it now, small idyllic villages that have inspired artists and poets alike" she mused, cocking her head pensively.

"Maybe it's a farm house with golden hale bales and rustic walls "Lucy smiled staring straight ahead as if she were locked inside a dream.

"Or maybe it's in a vineyard countryside overlooking the Tuscan mountains" Caroline sighed and closed her eyes.

"I'm just looking forward to some good old wine therapy and reading" Bonnie told her friends and shook her head. She smiled, running a hand through her tousled hair. She would only be in Tuscany for a few weeks but she was going to miss their crazy antics.

"Do you know anything about this place?" Caroline lifted an eyebrow as she folded Bonnie's chinchilla sweater.

"Katherine didn't tell me much; all I know is that it's a good place to relax" she lifted her shoulders in a small shrug as she ventured back into her walk-in closet. When she walked out again, hauling heaps of clothes, Emily was wearing her black bow-tie thigh high boots.

"No" she told her cousin because she knew how Emily's mind worked and she was not about to leave her Louis Vuitton's in her incapable hands.

"Please…" her cousin whined her eyes wide as she pleaded like a lost puppy.

"Fine" she hissed and a knowing smile crossed Emily's face. When everything was packed and ready to go, the girls fell into a huddle and toasted Bonnie one last time.

She promised not to cry.


	3. A Prima Vista

**-A PRIMA VISTA-**

-oOo-

It had been a long flight from Chicago but ten hours later, the plane touched down in Florence. Thankfully the flight had been free of any incidents, no crashing into a mountain or bomb threats and for that she was grateful. She never got to leave Chicago that often and that one trip to San Francisco didn't exactly cement her as an avid traveller. Perhaps Kai had been too well-travelled and cultured for a lowly events manager like her. She slung her black leather tote over her shoulder and grabbed a luggage trolley.

Bonnie was still coherent as she made her way toward baggage claim, she'd only had one glass of chardonnay during lunch. Her sleep had only been pleasant enough once she had gotten over second guessing her decision to come to Tuscany. She was thrilled to be here; in fact she was quite giddy with excitement. She wanted to see the beautiful architecture that Florence was famed for, wanted to experience the rich culture and legendary art she'd read about in all those books and travel magazines. Her cheeks flushed with colour as soon as she breezed through the mechanic doors opening out to the arrivals gate where throngs of people were waiting for their loved ones.

Katherine had insisted on sending someone to pick her up at the airport even though Bonnie had suggested getting a cab. Her jaw tightened with anticipation as she pushed the trolley, weaving through clumps of people and craning her neck to see someone carrying a card with her name on it. A number of taxi drivers tried to get her attention but she waved them off until she finally saw a big board with her name on it. The man holding it was young with thick, dark curly hair and tan skin, made even darker by the white tee-shirt spreading over his shoulders.

"Hi" she smiled, waving at him then gestured to the board he was carrying.

" _Ciao_ " his greeted her with a quick smile and warm brown eyes.

"That's me, I'm Bonnie Bennett" she pointed to the bold black print.

" _Benvenuti a Firenze_ , Miss Bennett "he smiled and the lilt in his voice thrilled her, she really was in Tuscany.

" _Mi chiamo Lorenzo_ " he held out a hand which she gave a firm handshake.

"I don't really speak Italian" Bonnie explained and lifted her shoulders in a small shrug.

"Ah, I'm Lorenzo. Mrs Mikaelson asked me to fetch you" he said as he took the trolley. They walked briskly toward the exit and the butterflies in her tummy waged a war.

"Thank you" Bonnie replied pressing her hands down her nude pleated linen dress. It was perhaps too sophisticated for the Florence afternoon and she wished she'd dressed in something more fitting like a casual maxi-skirt and a crisp-white shirt. When they stepped outside into the open air, she closed her eyes for a minute to breath in the fresh air. The scent of warm pastries, flowers and lingering cigarette smoke wafted through the air. Once she opened her eyes, she was met with the pictorial buildings of Renaissance Florence. A pink sky stretched over the gilded domes of the city's cathedrals.

Lorenzo signalled to a white fiat parked across the street and she had to be careful not to wedge her spindly heels in-between the cobblestone before crossing the hot asphalt. When they reached the car, he popped open the truck and stuffed her bags inside then motioned for her to get inside the passenger seat.

"Is it your first time in Tuscany?" he asked as he started the engine.

"Yes, it truly is lovely" Bonnie gave him a broad smile and sunk deeper into her seat. When the car began to move, she took the chance to look outside the window. She saw people sitting in wrought iron chairs around a bustling courtyard watching a tinkling fountain with black lacquered sculptures. A pair of lovers with their arms draped around each other tossed a coin into the basin of the fountain and she wondered what they had wished for. Her eyes drifted to a row of blood orange apartment buildings lining the piazza and she wondered what it would be like to watch a sunrise from one of the windows there. Was dawn different in Tuscany or was it made up of the same greens that morphed into violets and fiery oranges that she saw in Chicago?

"I'm sure you'll love it here, Southern Tuscany has the most beautiful villages. It's where most tourists go to visit." He said, speaking with his hands and she silently hoped he could control the steering wheel.

"In Italy we have a saying, _dolce far niente_ , the pleasure of idleness. " He smiled, eyes focused on the road. "This is what you will find in Val d'Orcia. Tourists come far and wide to experience the sleepy villages"

"It sounds romantic" she said and pushed strands of hair behind her ears.

"Aah, Americani" he chuckled, glancing back at her before his eyes returned to the road.

"Hey, watch it" she hissed, momentarily forgetting her manners.

"Si, Americani are a curious bunch"

"Yep, we're a barrel of laughs" Bonnie mocked and rested her head against the seat. She was already getting weary of Lorenzo and his brand of humour, hot accent be damned.

"How about some music?" he asked, reaching for the radio.

"I'd prefer a bit of quiet if you don't mind. It was a rather long flight" she turned to gaze out at the landscape again. She just wanted to listen to the hum of the engine and watch the endless row of cypress trees lining the road. Lorenzo seemed to understand as he grew silent. She took in the yellow fields dotted with big golden bales of hay and they stretched as far as the eye could see. They took her breath away, shimmering in the late afternoon sun like that. A few miles ahead, the fields were speckled with plump white sheep and then the turfs broke into a sea of sunflowers.

They reached the village by dusk and Bonnie heaved a sigh as Lorenzo's white fiat pulled up in front of black wrought iron gates flanked by a charming man-made stone wall. He climbed out of the car to open the gates and then repeated this process after driving into the property. The yard was large but small enough to be considered quant and charming. When she stepped out of the car and shielded her eyes against the dying golden shimmer of twilight, she could smell the tinge of roses in the languid air. Her eyes swung up to look at the house. It was a glorious two-story villa with a winding veranda and tall, lush-green cypress trees to shield it from the sun. She liked its color, pearl-gray, like the luscious oysters served at La Cantina in Chicago. Her heart hammered inside her chest and a tingle rushed down to her fingertips. This was going to be her home for an entire month. Startled by the sound of the trunk, she turned around as Lorenzo retrieved her bags and set them to next to her on the gravel driveway.

"I'm supposed to give you these" he said handing her a pair of keys, "one is for the house, the other is for the car in the garage"

"Thank you" she palmed the keys in her hands and turned to look at the house towering above them.

"You need helping getting the luggage inside?"

"No, I can handle it"

"Okay then, if you need some food, there's a place not far from here but there should be stuff in the pantry."

"Thank you, Lorenzo"

"Have a good night" he gave her a nod and walked back to his car.

"Same to you" she watched the fiat reversed and drove out of the property. Lorenzo climbed out of the car again and followed the same tedious exercise of manually closing the gate before he finally drove off over the horizon. Bonnie dragged her luggage over the gravel to the terracotta tiled veranda. The front doors were wide, wooden with wrought-iron doorknockers to match the gate. Her gaze swept over the place once more before she opened the door but she couldn't quite see the brilliance of her surroundings in the dying light. Turning around, Bonnie inserted the key into the keyhole and stepped inside the cool space of the house. The place opened up to a long foyer with a lacquered stone floor and a wrought-iron chandelier stuffed with thick, white candles. She passed a large scale gilded mirror that hung above a console filled with vases stuffed with pink roses. The roses looked garden-fresh and they smelled amazing. She supposed that Katherine must have a housekeeper who was alerted about her visit.

As she delved deeper into the house, she wandered into a kitchen with rustic cabinets flanked by a gas stove with a brass trim around its exhaust hood. A pair of ovens held their own corner and not far was a double door wood-panel fridge and double sinks with brass faucets. It was a kitchen created for the likes of Nigella and Bonnie certainly was no cook. She liked her readymade microwave dinners when she wasn't dining out which was really what she did half the time. Taking note of the stacked wine rack, she climbed the staircase to the bedrooms with a smile on her face, irrespective of her heavy bags. Peeking into the empty bedrooms, she discovered a locked room and presumed it to be the master bedroom which was out-of-bounds.

She peered into another room next to an arched stained window and immediately dropped her shoulders. When she saw the four poster bed, her eyes widened and a throaty laugh escaped her mouth. Dropping her bags at the foot of the bed, she rushed for the bed and bounced back against a pile of silk pillows. She lay there starring at the flimsy white drapes and the fan above the bed. She wondered what the Mikaelson's master bedroom must look like if the guestrooms were so large and opulent. It looked like an antique, like something Cleopatra and Marc Anthony would've used while they fed each other drapes and red wine. Bonnie laughed, a blush creeping into her cheeks at the image her brain was conjuring. She wrapped her fingers around an ornately carved post and it couldn't even fit in her hand. Plopping back against the pillows once more, she decided that she would take a shower, venture back downstairs for some wine and a bite to eat and then call it a night.

Removing her traveling clothes, she strode into the bathroom connected to her bedroom and cringed at the coolness of the stones under her bare feet. She had to switch on the lights as the shadows were already climbing the ivory walls of the room. She slid shut the wooden barn door and took in the expansiveness of the room with its rustic wood cabinets and seamless double shower doors. When she saw the extra deep stone tub, she changed her mind about the shower and immediately started filling the bathtub. As she sank deeper into its lusciously warm and scented depths, she realized that she had needed this. She watched white steam swirl into the air and wiggled her toes inside the water.

After the long soak, she felt much more limber as she slipped into a pair of harlequin print pajama pants and a white tank top. Taking a trip downstairs, she perused Katherine's extensive wine rack and decided on a wine. She picked a bottle of merlot and snagged it by its long neck then she collected a glass with a big bowl and flared opening from the cabinet. The meal was another matter with the depleted supplies in the refrigerator but she managed to find a macaroni and chicken frozen dinner and popped it into the microwave .Dragging herself up the stairs again, she settled into one of the reading chairs in the bedroom and opened her laptop. She checked which of her friends was online and sent a text to Caroline so she could get online. It took a while but soon enough, Caroline had logged on and they were talking via Skype.

"Oh crap, did I wake you up?" Bonnie asked, taking in Caroline's pajama as well as the gray smudge under her eyes.

"Well, it's actually midnight this side" the blonde yawned but smiled none the less.

"I clean forgot about the time difference thing"

"Nah, go ahead. How's the house, how's Tuscany?"

"Everything is beautiful; oh you should see this place…its heavenly"

They spoke for several minutes as Bonnie described the picturesque Tuscan landscape to Caroline who seemed to be thrilled for her friend. Caroline in turn told Bonnie about having cocktails at some bar and the brunette realised that she wouldn't miss Chicago with its jammed bars and even dodgier Chicago men who pretended to be available. When she finally clicked on the icon to end the call, her wine was finished and she was exhausted. She closed her laptop, switched off the lights and called it a night.

-oOo-

Her first morning in Tuscany was special; she could feel it in the ripple that coursed through her when she swung her feet to the floor. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and scrambled to her feet, staggering to the arched windows lining one wall. Throwing open the windows to let in fresh air, she took a deep breath and took in the new smells of the villa. It was still early but the sky was already aglow with a promising heat. As she raked a hand through her bed-hair, a sound broke her calm. She listened again and sure enough it was the sound of a running shower just outside her bedroom. Frantically, her eyes darted around the bedroom for a weapon as her heart hammered inside her chest. Christ, her first day in her lovely new home and there was already an intruder.

A house burglar with a penchant for taking showers.

With a vase in hand, she crept out into the hallway and tightened her grip around her weapon. Cautiously, she tiptoed over the hardwood floor and the sound of running water grew sharper before it stopped all together. A chill crept over her and she paused, pressing her back against the wall right next to the room where the sound was coming. When the doorknob rattled, she nearly jumped out of her skin then braced herself to thump the burglar over the head with the vase.

The door swung open and out came the burglar, naked except for the white towel draped around his waist. She lost her thought process for a little while as her eyes drifted over his body, from the muscles rippling beneath his damp tan skin to the deep V of his magnificent pelvic muscles.

"Don't you dare move!" suddenly she shouted, her thoughts coherent once again. She took in hasty breaths, her gaze focused on his face, oh and what a face. He had a deliciously sculptured jawline and blue eyes that had her heart pounding so hard, she was sure all of Chicago could hear her.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she asked, her eyes focusing on the damp lock of hair licking his forehead. She wanted to look anywhere else but his eyes and his damn perfect body.

" _Scusami_ " he apologised, his voice flavoured with a rich accent. He raked his hand through his tousled damp locks, the color of a raven black night and Bonnie's breath hitched. He was still young, she guessed him to be at least twenty-five which made whatever she was feeling toward him even more unnatural.

"I asked you a question and I won't ask it again" she threatened and inched closer to him, feeling brave with her ceramic weapon.

" _Sono_ Damon, the gardener" his lips curved into a smile even more fascinating than his magnificent eyes.

"You're the gardener?" Heat stung her cheeks as she averted her eyes from his face. They settled on the vein pulsing on the side of his neck instead but that just seemed to heighten her restlessness.

" _Si_ , I'm the gardener" he affirmed and tightened his hold on his towel, "When the bushes need pruning, I trim them"

"Katherine didn't say anything about a gardener" she told him, schooling her eyes not to track lower. She certainly had no interest in what pulsed beneath that towel of his, nor was she interested in knowing just how _big_ that pulsing might be.

"I stay outback, in one of the cottages. My shower hasn't been working and that's why-"he explained, his gaze skimming down her body.

"You stay here, like in the premises?" Bonnie's eyes grew large, her mouth now completely devoid of saliva.

" _Si_ , I live here" his lips edged up in one corner as his eyes lingered around her chest. She shook her head, trying to forget the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra.

"Listen, I need to confirm this with Katherine so if you don't mind" she motioned for him to leave with the vase still in her hand and he nodded, lifting his hands up in surrender. Bonnie's eyes immediately dropped down to his towel and her heart sank when she discovered that it was still very much in place.

" _Mi scuso, Signora_ Bennett" Damon apologised, casting a look at her lips.

"I'm not a signora!" she told him, her grasp relaxing around the vase, "You can call me Bonnie"

"I'll leave now" he grinned, running both hands through his hair. When he turned with a slow saunter down the stairs, her gaze trained to his tight butt and she cursed underneath her breath. This complication was the last thing she needed.

" _Grazie_ " she yelled with her smattering of Italian.


	4. Tuscany knows best

_A/N: Ok, so Voicegrl totally had me googling Boone Carlyle in Lost like crazy and all I can say is yes maaammm!_

-oOo-

 **TUSCANY KNOWS BEST**

 **.**

Bonnie was still somewhat suspicious about the gardener even after Katherine confirmed his story. She padded around her bedroom, vase in hand as she watched him through the window. He was shirtless, shears in his gloved hand while he trimmed the rose bushes fringing the property. He clipped a few leaves to trim the shrubs with the morning sun beating down his tan back and paused a few times to rake a hand through his tousled dark hair. Bonnie's eyes followed the stream of sweat trickling down between his shoulder blades and she bit her bottom lip. His faded jeans slung low around his lean hips and she was quite certain that he was naked underneath them. He was half naked, sweaty and would undoubtedly need a shower after his work.

Aye Dios Mio, this was going to be a long vacation. She was going to kill Katherine once she got back to Chicago because this was a rather cruel and unusual punishment. The young gardener must have sensed her looking at him because he suddenly looked up, his blue eyes striking her down with their gaze. Bonnie's mouth flew open, her throat tightening as she tried to find the right words but she merely waved and muttered to herself. The last thing she needed was this kid thinking that she was stalking him or worse, lusting over him. She was here to discover herself or rather to forget one Kai Parker, whichever came first. Slowly, she stepped away from the open window, smiling like an idiot the entire time. When she finally found herself in the safe recesses of the bedroom, she heaved a sigh and removed her clothes so that she could take a shower and prepare for the day ahead.

Wrapped in a white terry cloth towel, she placed her suitcases down on the bed and pulled out a few items so that she could line them up on top of the bed. She was more than ready to settle into her new home and to utilize Katherine's airy closet space. The first dress she pulled out was a slinky red dress with shoestring shoulder straps.

"Hmm, Lucy's darn yes pile." She mumbled, rolling her eyes skyward. She plucked out another dress, a little black number with ruching and than another sheer dress that left very little to the imagination.

"Those miserable little…" she exclaimed with a huff as she deposited the whole cluster of clothes on the bed. Finally she managed to find a few white and yellow linen dresses, palazzo pants and pastel Bermuda shorts. She decided to choose one of the linen dresses and a pair of scandals for her first day official day in Tuscany. Bonnie picked up her toiletry bag and after setting it down on the bathroom cabinet, opened the door to shower and dropped her towel. She stepped into the shower and got the water just the way she liked it. The pulsating stream washed over her and she titled her head back, running her fingers through her wet hair. She was determined to have a great time in Tuscany. She was gonna drink plenty of red wine, eat plenty of pasta, take in the sites and then go back to Chicago fully satisfied.

As she trotted out of the shower, her wet feet slipped on the tiled floor. Bonnie grappled for the door handle but it was too late, her hair flew into her eyes as she fell on her back, sans towel. The dreadful scream left her lips before she could stop it because her back ached, her head throbbed and she had the sudden realisation that her life would pen out like this. One day she'd slip from her shower, hit her head and her landlord would only find her body after three months, possibly with half her face eaten by her hundred cats.

"Signora!"

The voice startled her and when she looked up to find the young gardener standing at the door. He was quickly turning her into a raging, hormonal teenager and she wanted the damn floor to swallow her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, racing to her side. She was mortified that he was seeing her like this but another part of her felt the strange need to run her fingers over the defined contours of his abdomen. She blamed the stupid, sticky, sweaty Tuscan heat. This is the only reason she was behaving like a complete idiot. Pretty boys with big sticks were Emily's weakness not hers, her weakness was serious assholes but this vacation was going to be her rehab.

"Don't look!" she managed to scream as he kneeled beside her. He bent over her, one hand over his eyes as he covered her nakedness with a towel.

"I'm gonna pick you up" he informed her and Bonnie wanted to cry.

"No" she whined, swatting him away with her hand.

"Si" he argued and she gasped as he lifted her up in his arms. Her arms draped around his shoulders, tightening around his neck as he carried her to the bedroom.

"I've got you" he said as she clung tightly to him, his breath feathering across her cheek. She palmed his gleaming chest, a tingle shooting up her arm and tearing down to her groin. Lord have mercy, the man smelled good like freshly cut grass and morning roses. Laying her down on the big sprawling bed, he stepped back and looked down at her. He was still oiled, sweaty, with damp hair and those ridiculously low slung jeans.

"I suppose this makes us even" she muttered, goaded by his self-satisfactory smile and his gleaming blue eyes. He lifted a questioning brow and let his eyes travel down her body.

"You've seen me in my birthday suit." Bonnie explained.

"Are you okay, signora?" he asked, not a mark of concern on his face beyond his smirk but his gaze remained focused on hers.

Licking her lips, she lifted herself up and sat up on the four poster bed, "I told you my name is Bonnie"

"You need me to shine a light in your eyes or get you some wine for your ankle?" he gestured with his chin to her leg.

"Some wine for my ankle?" she looked up at him with wide her hazel eyes, clearly taken aback by his comment.

"Si"

"It's barely noon"

"This is Tuscany" he smiled, his eyes drifting down to her chest. Bonnie cleared her throat, earning her an even broader grin when his eyes finally found her face.

"Uhm…okay, when in Rome…or in this case Tuscany" she gave a light shrug. With a nod, he placed his hands on his hips which drew her eyes right down to his pelvis. She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes trailing to his crotch. He was clearly doing this on purpose; she thought squeezing her eyes shut and willing the image away from her mind.

"Is that a suitcase full of books?" he pointed and her eyes sprang open, trekking his gaze. Damon took wide strides to her stash and picked up a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul. He leafed through it, scanning down the pages as he shook his head.

"I know it's so prehistoric and I should probably go digital but there's something about holding an actual books in your hands" she said, her eyes darting between his face and the book in his hand.

"You came all the way to Tuscany to read books?" he turned, shooting her a smug smile.

"I enjoy my own company" her smile faltered as she tried to defend herself.

"Aha" he nodded, his eyes still fixed on the pages.

"What?"

"Nothing"

"Then what was that aha for?"

"It means aha, very sad"

"Are you calling me sad?"

"Si"

"Like sad pathetic or sad-beautiful-poor woman out here in Tuscany by herself?"

"Sad pathetic"

"I'm not pathetic." She scowled, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"You're reading Chicken Soup for the Soul"

"Why don't you go trim some bushes or something?"

"I'll go get you your wine. Will you take it outside on the terrace?"

"Yes, I'll do just that." She lifted her chin defiantly.

.

.

When she walked out into the stone terrace, the panoramic views took her breath away. A labyrinth of red roofs stippled the kaleidoscopic horizon and groves of olive trees stretched a mile to a neighbouring villa. Rolling carpets of green and gold seemed to go on forever and she found peace in the puffy white clouds looming above the landscape. She needed this; this place was going to be her starting point. Everything about Tuscany was going to change her for the better; sure things hadn't gone as planned with her last relationship. She had been very stupid to fall in love with Kai, worse still when she thought she could make him love her. Kai Parker would never love her and she suddenly wished that she could take back all the things she had said to him. That's what she got for being a hopeless romantic. She teased a tendril around a column with her finger and breathed in the wild sweet air, stuffing a pair of ear plugs in her ears.

"Do you speak English? _Lei parla inglese_?" said the cultured voice through her earphones and Bonnie followed her lead by repeating the sentence.

"Please repeat, _Ripetere, per favore_ " Bonnie said in an animated voice as she plopped down on a chair, elbows resting on a wrought iron table covered with a white table cloth.

"Where is the toilet? _Dov'e il bagno_ " she said airily.

" _Non troppo male_ " a familiar voice said and she looked up to find Damon framing the double doors. He crossed the terrace and stood in front of her. Bonnie took in his wind tousled hair, the glass of white wine in his right hand and the pastry dessert filled with cream on his left hand.

"I see you're finished with your work." She arched an eyebrow, looking up from her IPod. He looked clean and fresh in a white t-shirt that stretched across his shoulders, clinging to his hard chest.

"Si, Bonnie"

"What are you doing?" she narrowed her eyes as he placed the wine and cannoli on the table in front of her.

"What's that?" she gestured with her chin, eyeing the creamy dessert.

"It's a cannoli."

"I can see that. Why are you putting it on the table?"

"You looked like you could use something sweet." He smiled and stared intently at her.

"Go on, don't be shy." He egged her on and she hesitated before reaching for the cream-filled cone. She was keenly aware of his eyes staring at her lips as she took the first taste, biting past the fried pastry to the creamy filling. The pastry was airy and flaky just the way she liked it and the sweet cream cheese melted in her mouth. It was the best cannoli she had tasted even damn better than the cannoli's at Original Ferrara Bakery in Chicago. Her eyes fluttered shut and a moan escaped her lips.

"I never skimp of cream. I always use the real thing" he said, a slow grin gracing his lips.

Mumbling and gesturing to the half eaten cone in her hand, Bonnie asked "You made this?"

"Si, have another bite" a smile pulled at his lips and she obeyed.

"Thank you, that was delicious." She smiled, licking a drop of cream from her lips. When he still lingered around her, she lifted an eyebrow and shot him a puzzled look.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked.

"Do I need anything else?" she threw the question back at him.

"Si, an escort to town, a tour guide. I could assist you with whatever you desire…"

Shifting in her chair at the way in which he rolled the word _desire_ in his mouth, she asked "I just say the word and you're at my disposal?"

"Just like a genie" he smirked and she blushed at his colourful choice of words.

"Well genie, I'm not about to rub your lamp just yet"

"Are you just gonna sit here and listen to podcasts teaching you Italian when you can actual go out there and learn the language first hand?" he asked, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

"Well I uhm…"

"You could do the typical tourist things like biking, check out the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the museums in Florence." He licked his lips, not taking his eyes off hers.

"I could but right now I just want to sit out here with my podcasts and my wine." She winked, taking a hearty sip of wine.

"Piove sul Bagnato… is no good."

"Huh?"

"Too much of a good thing is no good for you"

"I'll ignore your charming sarcasm because you just proved my point." She smiled and pointed to her iPod. The buzz of her cell phone alarmed both of them and as she swiped it off the table, Damon excused himself. She quickly glanced at the screen and sighed with a big grin on her face when she realized that the caller was her cousin Emily.

"Hello" she greeted, following Damon with her eyes as he disappeared behind the wide double doors into the cool interior of the house.

"I bet you're sweating out your perm in all that heat" Emily cackled.

"It's not bad at all actually" Bonnie sat back in her chair and ran her finger around the rim of her wine glass.

"I wasn't talking about the weather" Emily argued, "I heard you got some company over there."

"I see bad news travels fast"

"Is he cute?"

"Em-" Bonnie rubbed the back of her neck and rolled her shoulders. Talking about Damon was making her rather uncomfortable.

"You know Katherine's gonna serve up some tea so you might as well confess"

"He's… satisfactory" she admitted with a groan and picked up her glass.

"Girl stop playing! Are you gonna check the mic?"

"No!" she cried, rising from her chair.

"Why the heck not? You're in Tuscany with some hot ass Adonis so you better bring sexy back! "

"He's twelve"

"Come again?"

"I have tissue paper older than him. He's too young and besides I'm not here for that" Bonnie shrugged, walking around the sun bathed terrace.

"Right, you're over there trying to get over Kai's sorry ass"

"Hey, quit it. I need to heal-"

"Please, heartache is played out like an A-track" Emily said, "Bon, you need to get it together over there"

"And by getting it together you want me to sleep with some little boy?" Bonnie took another sip of wine and looked out into the sweltering vista.

"I can take care of myself, Em" she said, leaning against the wide marble column smothered with vines. A small car was approaching the driveway, its tires kicking up loose gravel as it crept up the rutted gravel road.

Emily laughed and asked, "What, you think you packed your little jack rabbit?"

"Have you been rifling through my goodie drawer again?" Bonnie asked with a frown which was directed more at the strange automobile than at her crazy ass cousin.

"I took your stupid dildo out of your luggage okay and what do you with all those rhinestones anyway, what purpose do they serve?"

"If you have to know, they make my vibrator look classy"

"Aha, nothing says classy like breaking off your clit with a big ass rhinestone"

"Good-bye Emily" Bonnie rolled her eyes, suppressing a laugh. She pushed off the column and stood closer to the balcony.

"Girl, what you need is a Cuddy Buddy and that Italian Adonis has Cuddy Buddy written all over him!" Emily preached.

"Good-bye Emily." She laughed again, shielding her eyes from the sun to get a closer look at the approaching vehicle.

"Break out that Crown Royal and some Jill Scott. Did Stella teach you nothing?"

"Bye." Finally hanging up, she chewed the corner of her bottom lip and took another sip of wine as two blondes climbed out of a blue fiat.


	5. The Art of forgetting

"Ciao!" The two blonds called, waving their hands in the air. Hesitantly, Bonnie lifted her hand up for a cautious wave then curled it back to her side. The women started up toward the house, honey limbed in their cut off denim shorts with pockets hanging out past the frayed hems. She stared, gulping down the rest of her wine before turning around to go back into the house in order to meet them at the front door.

When Bonnie cracked the door open, gleaming sunlight blinding her momentarily, she found the women outside on the veranda beaming widely.

"I'm Rebekah, Elijah's sister" the fairer blond stretched out her hand which Bonnie took with reluctance.

"Bonnie" she replied, lifting a skeptic eyebrow as she looked from Rebekah to the other one with darker blond hair.

"And this is Camille, my fiancé"

"Nice to meet you." She smiled politely, thinking that they looked more like siblings rather than a couple.

"You gonna invite us in?"

"Sorry, how thoughtless of me...please." she shook her head, stepping aside to allow them entrance into the house.

"Kat told us she had a friend staying in the house for a few weeks." Camille chimed in with a smile while she took Bonnie in with her eyes.

"Yeah, I just flew in a day ago." She responded, uncomfortable with the scrutiny.

"Jetlag?"

"No, hardly. I'm just excited to be here." She smiled, her gaze leaping from Camille to Bekah. Then she recalled her manners, "Can I offer you something to drink?"

"Actually, we're here to pick you up."

"Pick me up?"

"We're inviting you to our café for a little afternoon delight." Rebekah's smile broaden, a glint in her blue eyes.

"Ah…thanks but I've got my iPod and my uhm…wine here. I think I'm pretty set."

"Nonsense, we'll kidnap you if we have to but you're not going to sit around in this big old house all by yourself." Camille swung the door open, directing her outside.

With a peal of laughter, Rebekah gently pulled her outside by her arm "Come on, grab your handbag, we're not taking no for an answer"

"Well…seems I have no choice."

"No, you don't."

Outside the sun was disturbingly hot and sluggish and it took her a while for her eyes to pick out Damon standing next to a motorbike in the graveled driveway.

"Ciao!" he lifted a hand, greeting the girls.

"You clocking in?" Rebekah asked as she opened the back door for Bonnie.

With a vigorous nod and a sly grin, he responded "Si, I'll see you there."

"Where is he clocking in?" Bonnie asked, once they were inside the car and out of the furnace of hot air though the interior of the vehicle didn't fare any better.

"We own a small a small café in town a few miles from here." Camille glanced over her shoulder and started up the engine.

Spinning around to the roar of Damon's bike, Bonnie eyes widened and she asked the girls "He works at your café?"

"Yes."

"So he's an acclaimed gardener who waits tables in the evenings?"

"He's not a waiter, he's our pastry chef."

..

After driving a few miles and passing a crowded market along the street, they arrived at the destination and Camille parked the little Fiat next to Damon's bike. He was leaning against the bike, arms folded as he waited for them.

They climbed up a steep hill, her scandals slapping cracked cobblestone and her skirt fluttering around her bare legs. Passing through an arched passageway with hanging flower baskets and old buildings with balconies bursting with flowers, Bonnie felt a sense of serene calmness along with a warm spiral that had begun to creep into her belly. The hill led to a small row of bookshops and cafes in a secret passage. Bonnie stole a glance at Damon whose smile was one of an amused local observing an unassuming and bewildered tourist.

Rebekah paused at a rose laden arch and pointed to a small café with potted plants lining a set of small windows and a menu board outside advertising the day's specials. It was small and quaint with outside sitting and a tin of wild roses on top of every wicker table.

"Here we are" Bekah announced, beckoning her inside.

"Don't be shy." Camille laughed, leading the way into the café. Before she could take in her surroundings, the girls were leading her up a wooden staircase that creaked beneath her scandals. They ushered her down a narrow hallway with a tattered Persian carpet, overhead lights that winked in the limited sunlight and a library of books stuffed into old book shelves, spilling onto the floor in neat little stacks. She found evidence of their life together in the pictures mounted on the wall. They told a story within their frames, love, memories and a life built and shared together. Bonnie felt a clench in her stomach because she too yearned for this, this elusive thing called love or even a version of it. There was a photograph of the two women standing in front of a gleaming Taj Mahal, feeding elephants in Bali and kissing outside an old church in Mexico.

"You ever been to India?" Rebekah asked.

"No but I've always wanted to." Bonnie replied quietly, thinking about the fantasies she had about travelling with Kai, about abandoning everything and following Buddhism in India.

"She's my perfect fit." Rebekah gestured to the picture, breaking Bonnie's spell.

"She's beautiful."

"For a long time I didn't think I deserved her or the kind of love she offered." She smiled, her voice taking on a somber tone before she turned to Bonnie and asked, "Have you forgiven yourself?"

"What for?"

"For the mistakes you made. People come here for one of two things, to forget or to find something new."

"I don't think it's as simple as that." Bonnie shook her head and diverted her focus back on the memories lining the wall.

"Why did you come to Tuscany, to find yourself or to lose yourself?" Rebekah asked and for a moment she was dumbstruck. She certainly knew why she had come to Tuscany, she knew that she was looking for a change, growth but at that moment she wasn't sure whether she wanted an internal change or just a change in her life in general.

"Hey, look what I found!" Damon called and all three women turned out to see the camera in his hand.

He pointed the camera at Bonnie and exclaimed, "Sorridi!"

A flashlight spark burned her eyes and she squeezed them shut. When he took another picture, Bonnie covered her face with her hands. Camille was laughing, Rebekah's arm wound around her waist but when Bonnie looked between the cages of her fingers she saw Damon studying her, the camera hanging at his side. Wisps of hair licked his brow and his eyes looked egg-shell blue in this light. They settled her, consumed her all and once and when she shifted her gaze back to the couple, Camille said something in Italian and the party began to climb back down the stairs to the café.

Bonnie lingered behind, curious to see the rest of the space. She crept into a room she deduced to be the bedroom from the large unmade bed anchoring it. There were books and an old vintage telephone tangled in the white sheets as she slinked in deeper into the lavender scented boudoir. The sheer drapes were open, a French door leading out into a small balcony where a breeze beckoned her.

Slowly, she stepped out into the open air, awed to silence as she gazed down at the never-ending fields of grains and plowed soil beyond the tangle of buildings and cobblestone streets. She closed her eyes, listened to the wind and thought about what she wanted to take from this experience.

..

When she descended down the stairs, the pungently sweet smell of icing sugar and chorizo ice cream wafted through the air and made her smile. There were rows of ricotta cheesecakes, biscotti, fresh chocolate profiteroles and tiramisu.

"We specialize in coffee and desserts." Rebekah said, waving her over to a polished counter with chrome legged bar stools. A waiter with ink black hair and chest hair sprouting from his V-neck t-shirt smiled at her as he wiped down the tables for what Bonnie assumed was to be a late afternoon crowd as the place was deserted.

"How long have you been staying out here in Tuscany?" Bonnie asked Bekah as she slid into one of the bar stools, smoothing down the back of her dress.

"It's been a couple of years." She replied, shooting Bonnie a quick glance.

Camille emerged from the kitchen with a strawberry topped cheesecake while Rebekah poured out cups of espresso.

"You just up and left home and took residence in a foreign country?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow, her eyes focused on Rebekah's face.

"It was about quieting the noise and living a more simplified life." She responded while Camille sliced a wide wedge and laid it on a plate in front of her.

With a nod, she thanked Camille and rushed her eyes back to Rebekah "And what did you do in Chicago again?"

"I was an architect working at one of my family's firms."

"And that's where you met, Chicago?" Bonnie dug off a bite of the strawberry layer with her fork, slicing through the almond crust. It was rich, creamy and the tang of strawberry flavors exploded in her mouth.

"No, we met right here in Val d' orcia" Rebekah stated, pushing a lock of hair behind Camille's ear.

"She was on a vacation and I was studying art history in Rome." Camille added, grabbing Bekah's hand and pressing it to her lips.

"It was love at first sight." Rebekah boasted, leaning in for the briefest of kisses.

Bonnie thought about all the self-involved workaholics and commitment phobes she had dated all her life from her college days to her recent history with who shall not be named.

She cleared her throat and replied, "Beautiful."

..

Later as the sun slid into a violet horizon, they ordered artichoke lasagna from a place next door and opened a bottle of red wine. The first taste was bitter, the second was comforting.

"What do you do for a living?" Camille rolled the wine inside her glass, watching as the legs slid down the surface of the glass.

"I run an events company." Bonnie twirled the pasta around her fork, lifting it off her plate and slipped it into her mouth. The spices in the lasagna, the wine, all these elements blended together perfectly.

"I admire a woman who dances to the rhythm of her own drum and calls her own shots."

"Thanks"

After the second bottle of wine, Damon joined them at the table and jumped right into the conversation. Bonnie took sips of wine, looking at him over the rim of her glass and he rubbed a finger along the rim of his glass while he stared at her, reading her face and trying to interpret what she was all about. Rebekah undid the first button of her denim shorts and leaned back in her chair, watching the scene around the jaunty table.

"Do you have love?" Rebekah asked Bonnie and Camille elbowed her partner.

Bonnie gnawed the inside of her bottom lip, she thought about her parents and her friends, her tribe who were practically family to her. Did she have love? She had beautiful dinners talking about nothing and everything, she had someone to call at one a.m. in case of an emergency, she had someone to get drunk with, someone who'd offer a shoulder for her to cry on if need be, someone to help her move at the last minute. She had love but somehow she didn't think that Rebekah meant that kind of love.

"No." she finally said, starring into her glass.

"Will you recognize it when you find it?" Rebekah leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table.

"Enough, you're putting her on the spot. Never mind her, Bon" Camille laughed, shooting a glance at Rebekah. They stared at each other for a long time, feeding off each other's warm glow before returning their gaze to the rest of the guest around the table. Dessert was served and Damon gave her a thumb up, nodding his head before Bonnie picked up a chocolate profiterole and took a bite, raspberry mousse filling her mouth.

..

She was still wired from the espresso when she walked outside with Damon, still buzzed from the wine as she giggled at something he said.

"I think I need a smoke." She paused, rooting around her purse for a packet of cigarettes.

"You should try and cut down." The corner of his mouth lifted into a half smile.

"What?" she asked, the skin on her forehead wrinkling as her eyes widened. Ignoring his protests, she pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"You're slowing killing yourself" he gestured to the cigarette cradled between her slender fingers.

"I tried to quit a month ago." She managed to say before slipping the cigarette back into her mouth.

"Then what happened?"

"Old habits." She shrugged, releasing smoke into the space between them. The smoke lingered between them, the air crackling with anticipation. She wanted to close the gap between them, wanted to press against him but she wasn't brave enough or drunk enough. He was incredibly young, incredibly gorgeous and incredibly wrong for her.

"You're shivering." He draped a strap over his fingers, teasing the fabric with his calloused thumb, making her skin tremble. He unzipped his leather jacket and slipped it off his shoulders.

"Am I?" She breathed, her hooded eyes glistening under the dimly lit street lamps.

"Here, take it." He insisted, draping the jacket around her shoulders. His eyes smiled, his hands on the collar of the warm jacket, the pads of his thumbs touching her cold skin. She tried not to smile with her teeth because she was pretty sure that they had turned purple from the wine.

"Thank you" she mumbled instead before he stepped back, hands in his pockets. In the ensuring silence, she took three puffs from her cigarette before killing it with her heel.

"You ready to go?" he was already at the motorbike, her helmet waiting for her. With a nod, a smile and one last glance at the café, Bonnie climbed onto the back of the bike behind him. The motorcycle leaped forward and the street and its crooked buildings blurred past them. With their heads tucked low, they sliced through traffic, her hands tightly wound around his midsection.

..


	6. Italian Night's Alright for Kissing

Bonnie was standing on her doorstep, fiddling with her keys as she waited for him to say something. The soft glow of lights above his head, his startling blue eyes and five o'clock shadow all made him look like a young Italian sex god-emphasis on young.

This was wrong; whatever she was thinking right now was wrong. Damon was young enough to be her little brother that is if she had a kid brother. Her gaze swept over his long eyelashes, his pouty mouth, muscled shoulders and devoured every inch.

Who was she fooling; she wanted him on top, underneath, inside of her filling her right up and stretching her out.

"We have uh…cooking classes every…uh… _Giovedi_ at the café." He said, pulling her out of her fantasy.

"Huh?" dazed, she stared at him and tried to unfog her brain.

"Just thought you'd like to know." He added, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

" _Giovedi_?"

"Ah, _Giovedi_ is…uh...how you say…uh… Thursday in Americano"

Wetting her lips, she tried to focus on his eyes but her gaze trekked down to his lusciously moist lips "That's sounds very interesting." She croaked.

"Si" Damon agreed languidly.

"Grazie"

"Grazie" he repeated with a soft chuckle. He seemed to be studying her, taking stock of her features and she found herself blushing.

"What?"

" _Niente. Va bene, buonanotte."_ He shook his head and began to walk away from her.

Before she could think or comprehend what she was doing, her head had reached out and touched him. She fisted his shirt with both hands and pulled him even closer to her. She wasn't sure who initiated the kiss and she didn't even care because now they were kissing. His hands were touching her, pulling gently at her hair, stroking her face, her neck. They kissed slowly, stealing each other's breath with every maddening stroke of tongue.

Lifting one leg, she clasped him around his hip so that his cock pressed up against her.

He was hard. So very hard.

His growl morphed into a groan, and then a whimper as her hand crept into his jeans but she didn't stop-she couldn't stop. His kiss slowed as he stroked her hair but the need for her only grew stronger when her fingers found his cock and curled around it. With a snarl, he stopped kissing her, pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers.

Bonnie released a trembling breath and pleaded, "Stay with me."

..

She woke up tangled in the sheets, still clad in her clothes from the previous night. Memories from the night before hit her like a freight train as soon as she lifted her head from the pillow.

Shit, oh how she had embarrassed herself by coming onto him. He probably thought she was a big American joke. She was the typical American woman who came to Italy for a steamy affair with a hot Italian man. What a cliché she turned out to be. She sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes. Her face felt puffy and dry.

She crawled to the adjoining bathroom and took a peek at her face in the mirror. Fuck, she looked old this morning. Old and gray like a dead thing.

She needed to start working on her ass because it was slim pickings out there. The dateable men in their thirties were either too afraid of commitment or dating younger women in their twenties and the men in their forties were either married or divorced with too much baggage and looking for casual sex. She had been so certain that Kai would save her but now here she was, back in the dating pool with men in their forties as her prospects but she certainly was no baggage handler.

The ringing of her mobile phone pulled her out of her daydream. It was on top of the bathroom sink, right next to the toilet where she assumed she'd gotten sick last night. She could still taste the semi-puke in the back of her throat.

"Hello?"

"I'm getting married!"

"What?"

"I'm getting fucking married!"

"Who is this?"

"Lucy, you fucking slag! What time is it over there? Are you still sleeping-?"

Before she could respond Lucy peppered her with a few more questions about Tuscany. When she was done, Bonnie finally asked the one question she shouldn't be asking because she was supposed to be happy for her cousin but she couldn't help herself.

"Why are you getting married?" she asked as she opened the medicine cabinet for her toothbrush. As the door swung open, some of the contents came tumbling out, a cleansing bar hitting her square across the nose. The punch to her nose sent her cellphone plunging into depth of the toilet bowl along with Lucy's very casual, "I like the idea of coming home to someone."

"Fuck!"

Her precious phone, her connection to the outside world, her life line to Chicago was lying at the bottom of the toilet-dead. Swallowing her pride and disdain for all things unsanitary, she reached in and pulled it out. She rushed it to her bedroom like a causality patient and laid it on the bed. Unzipping one of her bags, she pulled out a hairdryer and blasted hot air over her phone. She stopped every few minutes to check her progress but nothing was happening. A headache brewed at her temples when she realized that there were no signs of recovery.

"Are you okay?"

She snapped her gaze to the door and found Damon framing the doorway, a tray of food in his hands.

"Hi!" she said a tad bit too loudly. She was nervous. Why was he making her nervous? Oh that's right because she made a fool of herself with him last night.

"Ciao." He grinned, looking as lean, hot and toned as ever.

"You're still here." Bonnie said dumbly.

"I'm still here."

"Did you er…sleep here?"

"In your bed? No. I slept in the cottage. I thought you might be hungry and hung-over. Do you want me to leave?"

"No, I mean you've gone through all that trouble" she gestured to the tray in his hands, eyeing its items: fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, rich and creamy scrambled eggs and a bottle of maple syrup.

"That looks really good, smells pretty good too." She added, feeling the growl in her stomach.

"Doesn't taste too bad either" Damon approached the bed, set the tray down and looked her over before focusing on the phone in her hand.

"Have you tried putting it inside a bowl of rice?"

"Huh?"

"Your phone. I hear putting it inside a bowl of rice helps"

"Where did you hear that old wives' tale?" she rolled her eyes and plonked down on the bed, defeated.

"Maybe this is a sign." He suggested, hovering over her.

"Yes. It's a sign. Er… a sign like I should learn to simplify my life and get it rid of all complications including frivolous technology in an attempt to find serenity?" she asked, wide-eyed as she looked up at him.

"No, it's a sign for you buy another phone."

"Point taken."

"Well I'll leave you to it." He shrugged.

"Uhmm… okay."

"What are you doing today?" he asked as he was about to walk out of the bedroom.

"Today I'm driving up to visit a cheese making farm." The response was very matter-of-fact without a hint of sarcasm.

"Cheese? Fascinating."

"I might also scour the countryside for-"

"More cheese?"

She shot him a glance and quirked an eyebrow, "Would you like to join me?"

"Are you asking me out to a cheese date?" a cheeky smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

..

A/N: Short chapter but I missed this story.


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